In No Particular Order: 5 Albums About Happiness & Family (10/23/20)
Welcome back to another In No Particular Order!
I’ll be taking on five new albums this week from around the world, including Australian indie rock group Ball Park Music, Swedish producer Kasbo, and Canadian artists The Elwins, TOBi, and Plants and Animals.
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Kasbo – The Making of A Paracosm
9/10
Electronic
For Swedish producer Kasbo, the combination of one of the best years of his life and one of the worst contributed to the range of emotions scattered across his new album, The Making of A Paracosm. After dealing with an undiagnosed and intermittent hearing loss condition in 2019, Kasbo took the resulting fear and stress, and combined it with the joy, love, and nostalgia in his life to create his otherworldly sophomore release.
His combined use of textures, sonic detailing, and tension-building brings together ear-pleasing pop attributes with big room ambience, creating stunning and attention-grabbing soundscapes that stick with you long after they’re over. There’s a resemblance to Porter Robinsons’ 2014 album Worlds, where both artists handcrafted a new universe of sound as the portal to their mind.
The Making of A Paracosm finds a balance between dynamic instrumental and pop-bridging EDM, bringing out his diverse range of skills as a producer. “Play Prented” and “Staying In Love” being the album’s two strongest “pop” tunes, while scattered interludes and slow-burning ambient tracks make way for compelling, big-room instrumental arrangements such as “Shut The World Out”, “Skogsrå”, “Lune”, and the cinematic finale “Snö”, adding to the album’s profound build.
Given its lush and expansive style, and the arresting melodic and hook-driven moments, it’s hard to deny The Making of A Paracosm of its status as one of the best electronic albums of the year.
Notable tracks: “Play Pretend” // “Staying In Love” // “Skogsrå”
The Elwins – IV
7.5/10
Indie rock
Newmarket quartet The Elwins have come a long way since their humble days of their 2012 breakout single “Forgetful Assistance”. Almost a decade later, the four friends have released their most diverse and evolved record yet with the 13-track effort colliding together classic rock motifs, indie rock DIY experimentation, and candid and heartfelt reflections on life.
Taking a page from Hamilton all-stars The Arkells, The Elwins create arena-ready indie rock with the anthemic singles “Take Me All The Way”, “Giving Up On Yourself”, and “Hung Up”, moving away from the synth-pop days of Playing For Keeps and into more mature rock. Their hook writing has expanded to incorporate the entire band, rather than basing it around one instrument.
But what truly shows the band’s promise is their ability to be vulnerable and sincere with their songwriting, “I Will”, “Weight of the World”, and “Daughter Song” being the best examples. On “I Will”, they sing openly about insecurities, while “Weight of the World” takes on ’60s pop styles to help cushion the stress and worries of life. The combination of the piano interlude “1971” and the sombre “Daughter’s Song” is an unexpected moment of bewitching sincerity. The string arrangement of “Daughter’s Song” helps make the musical connection to the Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home”, evoking a similar emotive musicality as they enter the complexities of family.
Best enjoyed from start to finish, IV finds new ways to impress and showcase the band’s evolution into one of Canada’s best kept alternative rock secrets with each listen.
Notable tracks: “Take Me All The Way” // “Giving Up On Yourself” // “Daughter Song”
TOBi – Elements
7.5/10
Hip-hop
Shifting into the next chapter of his career, Nigerian-Canadian hip-hop artist TOBi is back with the first volume of his Elements project. Blending together jazz, hip-hop, soul, R&B, afrobeat, and grime, the new collection is a personal yet universally enjoyable record about identity, family, and resilience.
He has the poise and strong-headed composure of fellow Torontonian Shad, but with the softer, more R&B-driven vocals of Daniel Caesar and Mac Miller for a good part of the record. His seamless delivery switches between fast rhymes and sultry crooning, helping to blur the lines between genres and keeping the music flowing in all the right directions.
Notable tracks: “Dollas and Cents” // “Made Me Everything” // “Faces”
Plants and Animals – The Jungle
7.5/10
Indie rock
The members of Montreal indie rock trio Plants and Animals have been writing music together for almost 20 years now. Not only is that a massive accomplishment in music years, but a sign of reliable chemistry and ingenuity. Now onto their fifth album, Plants and Animals continue with their prolific status, creating one of their most concise and rich albums to date.
The Jungle is rhythmic, cyclical, light, and wonderfully melodic, as the trio take on more psychedelic and textural instrumentation, mixing with ’70s French chanson to incorporate a retro flare. Opener “The Jungle” hints at their exploration, with its percussive undertones and hypnotic repetition, along with the hazy, bilingual track “Le Queens” and guitar-effect laden “In Your Eyes”.
Plants and Animals find their stride on “House On Fire” and “Sacrifice”, as the most playful of the songs on the record in terms of hooks, boasting the catchiest choruses on the record. Although “Get My Mind” and the dynamic closer “Bold” may find less commercial success, they are both stand-out tracks that posses their own stature and irresistibility.
Nearly two decades later, and Plants and Animals are continuing to diversify their discography in a way that is signature to them without alienating their ever-growing fanbase.
Notable tracks: “House On Fire” // “Get My Mind” // “Bold”
Ball Park Music – Ball Park Music
8/10
Alternative rock/Indie rock
Once again, Brisbane heart-stealers Ball Park Music have put out a record filled from start to finish with brightly coloured hooks, psychedelic free-spirit, and an infectious, dance-along energy to keep away the everyday scaries. Their sixth album, the self-titled Ball Park Music, is a strong pillar in the band’s discography, cruising effortlessly from synthy, indie guitar pop, to Britpop goodness, and explosive jam rock.
But what’s most refreshing about this album is their uplifting pessimism. “Nothing Ever Goes My Way”, the energetic “I Feel Nothing”, or the Strokes-esque “Bedroom” all have these catchy, upbeat outer shells encasing a bitter, darker substance within – such is the case for a record finished off during massive bushfires, a pandemic, and worldwide decline. The Australian five-piece are the heroes of keeping a brave face while walking out their front-door into the unknown, and their new album is the perfect soundtrack.
Naturally, when there’s hardship, there’s often a light of hope somewhere peaking around. Fortunately, the new record has a handful of beacons of hope on the second half, starting with the Beatles-channeling “Cherub” and heartfelt”Bad Taste Blues Pt. III”, before cruising into the style of fellow Aussie rockers Jet for “Orbit 2020”.
There’s something about this Australian band that make it possible to feel good about feeling bad. Whatever it is, their new record Ball Park Music is filled with it and captures the high-spirited realism that is a much-needed supplement for the world outside.
Notable tracks: “Nothing Ever Goes My Way” // “Bedroom” // “Cherub”
